The joke was on QPR player Wayne Routledge on Friday after he fell hook, line and sinker for an April Fools’ Day joke from The Independent. The winger, on-loan from Newcastle, wanted someone to talk him through the implications of Cristiano Ronaldo’s big-money transfer from Portugal to Spain.

The Independent had run a spoof story claiming that the Real Madrid star had been sold by his country to help pay off the national debt.

Routledge was wondering how Ronaldo could suddenly switch to play for Spain at international level. Having being alerted to his gullibility, Routledge tweeted: “Ok ok… #aprilfools #gotme.”

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